Welcome To My Life
-Meeko Melodie
Meeko: Hi again. Glad to see those wonderful reviews and if anyone is wondering, no, I'm not going to make the abusive father thing that are very common out there. And no, I'm not gonna make one of them mean and one of them heroic. Just, plain no. So, any more questions?
Disclaimer: Okay, fine, I don't own any Digimon characters. The song 'Welcome to My Life' belongs to Simple Plan and '40 Kinds of Sadness' belongs to Ryan Cabrera. Happy now?
Thank you:
Keep-onxRocking: Hey, thank you for the comment. I think I've saw you somewhere before; have you comment on my other Digimon stories or something? Anyway, thank you.
2 Name less persons: Please read the above author's note. Thanks for the comments, by the way.
Chapter 2: Breaking Down and 40 Kinds of Sadness
-Rika's Point of View-
"I'm home!" I yelled once I stepped into my house, knowing probably that no one would be in there to answer me anyways. Grandma was out for a few days visiting friends near the Fuji area, and mother was out of the country doing a fashion show for this company thing that I wasn't even listening to when she was explaining it to me.
Oh well, like that would make a difference anyway.
The house was so dead quiet that I swore I could even hear the fridge humming in the kitchen; it was eerie, in a way. Unconsciously, I shivered, not only at the deserted place I called home, but also at my whole confusing life.
Swinging the backpack over the chair, and almost knocking it over with unneeded force, I grabbed some chocolate chip cookies and a glass of orange juice and was about to sit down to have an after school snack when I heard the door opened, then closed with a squeak.
Haruto, my stepfather.
'Oh great,' I thought, ' just the person I need to see at the moment.' Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he wasn't nice or anything, but we were not in the best of stepfather-stepdaughter relationship either.
"Rika," he called out warmly, stepping in to the kitchen with a suitcase and drawing case in hand. He was a designer, and no, he was not gay. He married my mother, remember? H met my mother, Rumiko, in one of the fashion shows and they hit right off.
So, back to the original topic here, the moment he sat himself on a chair in front of me, I stood up, almost toppling the chair in the process. Mind you, I wasn't in exactly the best mood at the moment. My aching head was still clouding with those damn thoughts about Ryo Akiyama.
Plus, I could tell he wanted to talk about something and I wasn't in the mood for speeches either. So without further addressing or even a word, I picked up my school bag and my snacks and stepped right out of the door. Finally upon reaching my room, I slid the wooden framed door shut and sighed loudly, suddenly feeling relieved.
We never talked in a total of ten sentences in the past conversations, I meant between me and Haruto, because, well, we just didn't have anything to talk about. Sure, mother would sometimes make up some excuse that would make me roll my eyes so that we can have some time alone together. But with me being me, I just stuck to the ground and said nothing unless it had to be said.
That was how it is for almost a year.
Just a quiet life, if one could even call it that.
I sighed.
Why is my life becoming so fucking confusing? First the marriage between mother and a stranger, then came this strange feeling toward Ryo. I didn't know what to think anymore. Loads of times, I just wished to be young again; a time when things were simple and nothing more.
Yet, I know this was a selfish dream. One that was impossible to come true.
'Maybe I could run away,' sometimes I would muse myself with a silly thought like that, but I just dropped it quick as it had surface from my brain.
Do you ever want to run away?
Do you lock yourself in your room?
Suddenly feeling very full, I laid out my homework in front of me and trying to concentrate on them. But I just found myself reading the same line over and over again for the last five minutes without understanding the content of it. I groaned with frustration at my wandering brain, which was just filled with those images of a certain cinnamon haired someone.
How could I concentrate like this? I glared at my Shakespeare's The Tempest. And who in their right mind would read this... this impossible to understand language? I slammed the book shut just when the phone rang.
Well, let the damn phone rang. I didn't give a shit. I was about to threw it down the floor too, if it just kept on ringing. I know, harsh temper.
I just wasn't in the mood for anything other than screaming at something or someone.
With the radio on turned up so loud
That no one hears you screaming
"Dinner time, Rika," I heard Haruto's muffled voice coming from the kitchen. Almost unwillingly, I dragged myself out of the room and shifted all the way towards the kitchen. He was already seated so I sat down right across from him, head lowered.
I could practically felt his piercing gaze burning hole in me. 'What's his problem?' but I didn't voice out my thoughts.
"Rika," he started. 'Oh great,' I thought, playing around with my chop sticks, 'he's going to one of his speeches again.' I glanced up to meet his unwavering glare; it was strange. Haruto was never the one in an angry mood; that was mostly me but even I shuddered under his angry stare.
"Yes?" my voice dry but demanding.
"The school phoned a few hours ago," he said and I immediately knew what was going on. "And?" my breathe shaky but only a bit.
"I want to know what happened," he replied, totally forgetting about the food now.
"You already know," I said simply, putting down the wooden sticks, "so why ask?"
"The Rika Nonaka I know was a quiet spoken, yes, but never a rude girl who swears to her teacher," he said, his lips thinned into a line.
"Then it seems that maybe you just don't know me very well, isn't it?" I inquired, my voice dipped in ice.
"Or maybe you just won't let me understand you," he shot back.
That was it.
"So what if I won't let you understand me?" I screamed, pushing myself off of the table; I could feel the chair toppled over with my unnecessary force. But the hell with the god damn chair!
Do you ever feel out of place?
Like somehow you just don't belong
And no one understands you
"No one tried," I continued, tears starting to form around my eye brims as I fought hard not to let them fell; every emotion just came rushing to me like waves in a storm trying to drown me down. Images were blurry, merging together into something I wished so hard to forget, "nobody tried to understand me." It turned into a shaky whisper.
"I tried," he said, I knew it but did I care at the moment? No.
"Shut up," I didn't know where it came out, but it did, "you... you're not even my father!" And with that, I rushed out of the house and what was worst? It was literally pouring outside.
Just my day today, huh?
The freezing rain pierce through the damp night air and bled through my clothes but I ran. I ran to no where and didn't stop until my chest was hurting so much from my beating heart. Hair plastered around my face in a mess and my usual high pony tail drooped with water drops dangling dangerously.
Panting with agonizing pain still gained up on my chest, I crouched down on the concrete ground where puddles of the clear liquid were forming around my feet. Rain water from the dark heaven combined with salty tears rolled down my face, cooling me off.
Pedestrians were staring at me as they rushed past, sending splashes of bitter cold water in my way; but none of them spoke, as if they were trying to ignore me.
Are you stuck inside a world you hate?
Are you sick of everyone around?
I loathed them.
With their big fake smiles and stupid lies
While deep inside you're bleeding
Trembling slightly, I made myself stood up and found my way toward a phone booth. The sudden white light inside momentarily blinded me; my head swirled but I caught hold of myself just in time. From the jean pocket, I held out a quarter and popped it into the awaiting machine.
I tapped my feet impatiently as the ringing of the phone continue.
"Come on," I muttered under my breathe, now tapping my finger, "someone pick up the god damn phone already."
Finally - "Hello? Katou residence."
"May I speak to Jeri please?" I requested.
"I'm sorry, she's out for the moment, do you want to leave a message?" that person said.
"Fuck," I muttered unconsciously.
"Excuse me?"
"Oh, that's okay, thank you." I hung up and sighed loudly.
Damn, even Jeri was gone, probably on a date with Goggle Head, I presumed. I dug deep into my pockets: one more quarter. I clasped my hand hard over it before pushing it into the phone.
The ring seemed to go on forever but someone finally answered.
"Wong's residence, Henry speaking," that deep voice said.
Weird as it might be, I squealed and for the first time, felt warm upon hearing such a familiar voice.
-Henry's Point of View-
"Henry?" that shaky female voice asked, as if making sure that it was me.
"Rika, what's wrong?" I recognized her voice.
"I..." she started but stopped again.
"What is it?" I asked, more gently. I wondered what was wrong; I could hear the rain on the other side of the phone, loud tapping on glass. Could she be in a phone booth out there alone, somewhere in the dark?
"Can..." she stuttered again, "can I stay at your place tonight?" My brain was blank for a second, then it finally got to me as to what she was asking. "I tried to phone Jeri," she explained quickly, "but she wasn't home." 'On a date with Takato,' was my very first thought.
"Sure..." I meant, what else could I had said? I couldn't just leave her out there and froze to death, right? "Why don't you come over right now?"
"Thank you so much," she sounded grateful and the phone line went dead. I could tell tonight was going to be a long night.
I laid the receiver down and heaved a sigh. The house was too quiet for both of my parents were out late tonight, leaving Susie and me behind to care for her.
"Who was that?" Susie asked, coming out of the bathroom just finished brushing her teeth; she was wearing her pink pajamas and in her hand was a brown, worn-out teddy bear, which replaced Terriermon. I smiled slightly at the thought; Susie was still pretty young then, about five. Now, she had grown taller and her hair was passing her shoulders hanging on her back. She looked at me with her curious cinnamon orbs.
"We're having company over tonight," I announced and at that, she squealed in this really hyper way that I had to dodge her incoming bear hug.
"Who's it?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.
"Rika," I replied. Somehow, this name gave me slight senses of sadness that I couldn't define.
I feel 40 kinds of sadness when you're gone
I feel the same thing always happens when you're gone
But who am I kidding? I knew how I felt, but it just doesn't feel right, when I know the person she loved was not me, but Ryo Akiyama.
I do not hate her for it.
How could I? She had choices and obviously, she had made the decision.
'Besides,' I thought to myself while clicking on the television remote control to make more noises in the house, 'she probably doesn't even know how I feel.'
And I planned to keep it that way.
Meeko: Done! In like 2 days and still trying to work out these annoying little stupid probability questions for my math tutor. Oh and have I mentioned they are stupid and annoying? Comments please, thank you!